Building sector lidar confidence, skills

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This article was published 21/11/2024 (482 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The use of drone-delivered laser scanning technologies in road surveying, for instance, can reduce the time such work traditionally takes from days to minutes.

That is the order of magnitude of efficiency the Manitoba Construction Sector Council believes it can achieve broadly with greater implementation of drones and light detection and ranging (lidar) technology on construction sites across the province.

With the help of recent provincial funding, the MCSC and New Media Manitoba are developing courses that should be able to get another 60 people trained-up in use of drone-delivered scanning tech over the next three years.

“This program will bring the digital media and construction industries together to advance the use of digital media in the construction industry,” said Carol Paul, executive director of MCSC.

Construction industry officials say the technology — used to detect defects, ensure work is completed and map out terrain to plan the scope of work — is on the verge of becoming ubiquitous.

Many of the larger companies are already using it, with larger drones and high-end lidar equipment costing as much as $150,000.

However, Roxanne Gross, senior digital construction co-ordinator for Winnipeg-based Bird Construction, says there’s a quick return on investment for the industry.

“Because of the time-saving and also the quality review we are able to complete, it saves us money at the end,” she said.

“Time and money — that’s what drives the construction industry. When it saves both, it is a no-brainer to implement it in your company.”

A recent Journal of Construction Engineering and Management article shows implementing this kind of technology can deliver cost savings of as much as 30 per cent.

The training will incorporate New Media Manitoba’s six-month-old virtual production studio and will use video game platform Unreal Engine, which will contribute to data analysis and interpretation of drone footage and lidar data.

“The integration of Unreal Engine with lidar and drone technology provides real-time visualization of construction sites. It can provide a detailed look at their site before they even start the work,” said Louie Ghiz, executive director of NMM.

Sean Usher, director of design technology and innovation at Republic Architecture in Winnipeg, said the technology is becoming indispensable, for example, when doing renovation on designated heritage buildings.

Sometimes, an owner will provide architects with a scan before they even start the work, he added.

However, Paul said not enough Manitoba construction companies are currently onboard.

She’s also concerned without broader utilization, companies might have to hire specialists from out of province, which will not benefit the local economy.

“There are companies in Manitoba already using the technology, but they need other Manitoba companies to work with them,” she said.

“If not, they will have to find customers outside the province to use the technology.”

The training project will start with a survey of the industry to see what companies are thinking about when it comes to implementing new tech.

It will partner with Lewis Instruments, a Manitoba company that sells, rents and leases all sorts of unmanned aerial vehicles and the technology that can be used with them.

“The initiative is fuelled by the need for Manitoba construction companies to keep pace with emerging technologies,” said Paul. “We want to launch the construction industry in Manitoba into a more accurate, efficient, safe and more competitive situation.”

The technology training program was previously announced at MCSC’s recent Women in Trades conference.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca